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Sometimes, a colored caulk is needed for sealing or repairing a particular job. Finding the correct color of caulk for some projects is challenging, but colored caulk is easily made using simple paint mixing techniques. No special skills are required for making colored caulk. Making colored caulk is quick and simple for anyone.

Custom Tinting Acrylic Caulks

1) Cut the back of the tube off with a utility knife, squeeze all the caulk out of the tube on to a scrap board or into a mixing container.

2) Using universal painters tints, squirt about 1 tbsp. of the desired color into the caulk. Mix the color into the caulk using a wooden mixing tool, long handled wooden spoon, or a putty knife to get the right color and shade. Use at least 1/4 cup of un-tinted caulk when mixing a custom colored caulk. Make sure you mix the color thoroughly into the caulk, or you will end up with clear caulk in some areas and colors in other areas. Always mix your custom color just a bit lighter, as the colored caulk will darken slightly when dry. Remember, you can only use water based tints with water based caulks.

3) Scoop the colored caulk back into the tube from the back end, and then reseal the cut opened end of the tube with masking tape, several folds over the end and a couple of times around. Purge the tube of the remaining un-mixed caulk on a scrap and when the colored caulk starts to come out, you are ready to caulk your project. You can also get empty re-fillable caulking cartridges for use with a caulking gun for this process if you are applying your custom colored caulking to a large job. When finished, wipe some of the colored caulk on the shoulder of the tube so you will have a color reference if you want to use it again.

4) Use the colored caulking immediately. Store any excess caulking in a container with a lid. Use the leftover colored caulking within the next several months. It can stay soft and usable for up to a year as long as it is sealed.

Custom Tinting Silicone Based Sealants

Silicone-based sealants come in a variety of pre-mixed colors and because they are a great deal more difficult to custom tint it may be better to simply purchase a pre-tinted color to match your job, however, if you simply MUST custom-color a silicone based sealant you should remember that silicone-based caulks will require oil based tints or pigments to blend correctly and must be mixed in an air-tight environment as they skim-over as soon as they are squeezed out of the tube. This means you cannot mix your desired color on a scrap board or in a separate mixing container. Instead, you should use the following process:

1) Squeeze your silicone caulk into a plastic bag and add small amounts of silicone tints, which are concentrated pigment-based coloring agents that you can find it at paint stores and at mail-order woodworking-supply outfits.

2) To mix, knead the bag with your hands, or us the caulk tube as a rolling pin to mix the colors with the caulk inside the sealed plastic bag.

3) Once the caulk is mixed to a consistent color, snip one end of the bag and use it like a cake-frosting bag to squeeze out a consistent bead, or squeeze the entire contents of the bag into empty re-fillable caulking cartridge for use with a caulking gun.

4) Use the colored caulking immediately. Store any excess caulking in a container with a lid. Use the leftover colored caulking within the next several months. It can stay soft and usable for up to a year as long as it is sealed.

Just another expert idea from Guy Calor, the Caulk King andCaulkWarmer